J.D. Robb – Creation in Death

Book 25 in the In Death series, published November 2007.



The number 1 New York Times bestselling author of Innocent in Death and Born in Death delivers her explosive new novel …
CREATION IN DEATH

When the body of a young brunette is found in East River Park, artfully positioned and marked by signs of prolonged and painful torture, Lieutenant Eve Dallas is catapulted back to a case nine years earlier. The city had been on edge due to a killing spree that took the lives of four women in fifteen days, all courtesy of the man the media tagged as “The Groom” – because he put silver rings on his victims’ fingers.
This time, it becomes chillingly clear that the killer has made his attack personal: the young woman was employed by Eve’s billionaire husband, Roarke, washed in products from a store Roarke owns and laid out on a sheet Roarke’s company manufactures. Chances are The Groom is working up to the biggest challenge of his illustrious career – abducting a woman who will test his skills and who promises to give him days and days of pleasure before she dies: Eve.


Eve and Roarke are enjoying a quiet evening at home, Eve has the next day off, and they have plans … Then Eve gets a call from the Commander himself to report to a murder in East River Park. He knows she is off duty, and she knows he wouldn’t call himself if it wasn’t important. And when they get on scene, they walk straight in a nightmare. A serial killer who got away nine years ago is back. He abducts young women, and tortures them to death. And then he carves their time in their skins. While he is working on the first, he has already taken the second, and so on. Never before have the women been linked, until now. The killer uses connections to Roarke. The women work for him, the products used are manufactured by his companies, and dr. Mira strongly believes, he will go for Eve as his last and best work ever.

Nine years ago, New York was his first place of work, but since then, he has been around the world. 24 woman are murdered so far, and Eve vows, it will stop here. They have a big advantage they didn’t have last time, when Feeney led the team, and Eve was just learning how to be a Detective. She also was too young to fit his victim profile, but no longer.
This time, they have Roarke, with his resources and intelligence to help them find and stop this killer. And as it is personal for Roarke too, he is helping with the investigation the whole journey. Getting more respect for how they work, and how they care, even though they trade some jokes.

Eve finds some new angles to work the case, with Summerset giving her a very important clue. And in the end, all the little clues come together. But it will be in time to save the last victim before Eve?


This one was certainly exciting to read again. I had the ending confused with another book, so it was still kind of a surprise. But I think I’ll stop re-reading for a while, as I do remember too much now.
A very good book. It was great to see how good Roarke fits in with the cops, how they all work together. Even though Feeney and Roarke get mad at Eve, they make up again. And it are Mavis and Trina who give Eve her first real breakthrough. And Eve didn’t even have to have a session with Trina this time! All the favourite secondary characters where there, except Charles and Louise. Even Morris helps with the investigation, as he was there nine years ago as well. Dickhead doesn’t even need to be bribed, he is as eager to catch this killer as they all are. And the end, wow, that sure was great, how they thwarted the murderer. Hooray for Roarke and his unregistered.

9 stars.